Antiquing

May 3, 2017

Antiquing

Old Towne Orange, California is like the mecca of antique stores in Orange County. There’s a huge variety too, from tiny little Army & Navy stores, to HUGE antique markets with tons of different lots. The photos from this trip are from Country Roads Antiques.

I really like going to antique stores and browsing. Although there’s always the temptation to make a purchase, I started visiting and using it as an opportunity to snap a few photos of the things that I like and enjoy, as opposed to buying them. I’m always have my eye out for really pretty kitchenware or midcentury colors, but putting myself in the mindset that I’m going to browse and not to buy can really limit my frustrations if I don’t find anything to take home.

Antique hunting on the west coast is very different than in other areas, so I understand. Although they’ve become more popular in So Cal, the number of vintage or antique shops is really limited. It can be really frustrating at times. Now that “old is in,” I’ve seen a lot of lots that pad their shops with new items that have that old/mid century feel to them, something that I find REALLY ANNOYING. Things like pillows, quilts, glassware, and “vintage” clothing make their occasionally appearance, which totally throws me off.

Frustrating as it can be sometimes, I feel like there’s always a lot of gorgeous, beautiful items to look at, touch, and smell. It’s a really cool experience, wondering who owned the item, what it was used for, what it looked like new, etc.

My favorite item from this trip were these little glass bottles with old writing on them. I’m not sure the purpose of these bottles, as the writing is in a foreign language, but I definitely felt drawn to them. Although I passed on purchasing them, I’m glad I took a picture to remember them.

I died when I saw this old Hamilton Beach stand mixer. It certainly made me appreciative of my current stand mixer, with the different attachments and stainless steel bowl.